


A Day in the Lives of Son Hyunwoo and Yoo Kihyun

by jung_eunkyung



Series: Love, The Elixir of Life: Hyunwoo and Kihyun Throughout the Years [5]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: 30 day challenge, Domestic Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-02-05 02:42:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 18,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12785211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jung_eunkyung/pseuds/jung_eunkyung
Summary: 30 days in the existence of Hyunwoo and Kihyun as they go through their lives having just moved into the vibrant city of London from Seoul. All chapters posted in non-chronological order.





	1. Waking Up Together

**Author's Note:**

> Why am I writing so much these days? Good question. I have absolutely no idea. I'm just craving ShowKi but there's just NOT. ENOUGH. So here I am, putting my amateur fingers and tiny brain to work to flush out this sudden need for ShowKi, hone my writing skills and spend my time. Killing three birds with one stone, I'm so smart I know lol. This is set in the AU of You Are My Life, before the fire incident.
> 
> Link to the challenge:http://melonmachinery.tumblr.com/post/130275833173/30-days-of-domestic-fluff
> 
> As much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is much more appreciated. Enjoy!

It’s the weekend, which means sleeping in for Hyunwoo and Kihyun. It’s not that they aren’t morning people; working every day is just tiring and the weekend is a welcome break for them both.

So when Hyunwoo rouses without the help of his alarm, he feels good and all sorts of comfy. He goes to stretch, but spots Kihyun’s still form curled up beside him, with a hand over Hyunwoo’s waist, and decides lying in sounds like a much better option.

Hyunwoo also realizes that his clothed body is exposed to the rather chilly air of their room, but he’s not surprised – Kihyun is a hogger, and the fact that Hyunwoo can’t quite locate the sides of the blanket that is wrapped all around him proves it.

(Hyunwoo thinks he looks like a very large, very misshapen blue burrito – he can’t decide if it’s cute or scary.)

Eventually, he does find an entrance to Kihyun’s little burrow, and peeks inside – Kihyun is, as expected, fast asleep without a care in the world. He’s snoring slightly but is otherwise a total zombie.

Hyunwoo slowly removes the blanket, taking care not wake the sleeping male. Kihyun appears especially cute to Hyunwoo today, straight hair framing his face and covering his eyes, cheeks looking chubbier than usual and his mouth slightly open – _is he drooling?_ , Hyunwoo wonders with a tiny laugh.

Hyunwoo really wants to touch Kihyun, but he knows Kihyun is a light sleeper and wakes easily, so he keeps his hands to himself and watches the male doze. His resolve doesn’t last long, though, and he ends up slowly pulling him towards his chest.

Luckily for him, Kihyun doesn’t wake, just snuggles himself into Hyunwoo, blankets and all. Hyunwoo drapes an arm over Kihyun’s body and places his chin on top of what he assumes is Kihyun’s head.

But Kihyun clearly isn’t comfortable anymore, and wiggles around in his sleep, turning the other way and letting his head and legs poke out of the mass. Hyunwoo doesn’t relent, holding on to Kihyun, though he does loosen his grip a little. Finally, Kihyun just lays his head on Hyunwoo’s chest and tangles his legs with the other’s, almost immediately going off to dreamland when Hyunwoo doesn’t jostle him anymore.

Kihyun is nice and warm and Hyunwoo just sighs, breathing in his scent and letting his warmth seep into Hyunwoo’s body.

Just then Hyunwoo’s stomach lets out a rumble, startling both himself and waking Kihyun. Hyunwoo would feel bad, but he’s terribly hungry and he really really wants Kihyun to make him something delicious instead of making some okay-tasting-nonsense Hyunwoo has picked up from years of watching Kihyun cook.

Hyunwoo watches silently as Kihyun groans a little, squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a yawn before turning around and getting up, throwing the blankets off and stretching his lithe body like a cat.

Kihyun turns and Hyunwoo grins at him, laughing when Kihyun is caught by surprise. “Oh, you’re already up,” he says softly. Hyunwoo hums in reply; he never has his voice in the mornings.

“Are you hungry?,” he asks, looking at the older man.

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo says hoarsely. Kihyun nods, and Hyunwoo can almost see the thoughts flying in his head, going over the things they had in their kitchen. “Anything specific?”

Hyunwoo blinks. “Pancakes?,” he asks. They need to go grocery shopping, but he’s pretty sure they have at least the ingredients for that. Plus it was easy to make, and Hyunwoo could even help – his pancake-flipping skills are pretty bomb, if he does say so himself.

“Okay, but we need to go shopping, we’re running low on a lot,” Kihyun says, mirroring his thoughts.

Hyunwoo watches as Kihyun gets up and gingerly walks to the bathroom. He feels contented, lying in bed and just enjoying a quiet morning like this. He’d like every morning to be like this, but then that wouldn’t be practical. _And, well, isn’t that what makes it all the more precious?_

Finally, he forces himself up, taking a quick shower and padding into the kitchen. He takes his place beside Kihyun near the stove, even though Kihyun tells him to go sit and wait for the food.

“Hyung, can you flip the pancakes? I think I want to split the rest of the batter and add other stuff in them,” Kihyun requests. That was one thing Hyunwoo enjoyed about Kihyun’s cooking. He always added a touch of spontaneity, a little something different each time. It was refreshing, to say the least.

He walked over and gave Kihyun a quick kiss on the cheek, taking pleasure in the way Kihyun froze for a second before going back to his work, as if to appear undisturbed. “What was that for, Hyunwoo-yah?,” Kihyun asked quietly, looking over at him as he brought the batters back in two bowls.

Hyunwoo smiled a little and shrugged. “Nothing.”

Kihyun looked at him weirdly but said nothing. Hyunwoo didn’t fail to notice the younger pursing his lips together, the way he always did when he tried to hide a smile of his own.

“I just love you,” he continued.

That did it. Kihyun smiled nice and wide, showcasing his teeth and turning his eyes into little crescents. He looked down though, avoiding the elder’s gaze, and Hyunwoo never wanted to kiss him more.

“I love you too, old man, but if you burn those pancakes I might just change my mind .”


	2. Morning Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so before you proceed to read the chapter, for those of you who have read the first chapter, please go back and read it again. I swapped chapters because my dumb ass didn't realize that today's prompt was morning routines and instead, I included ShowKi's morning routine in the previous chapter, whose prompt was actually waking up together. So I've re-written yesterday's prompt into a new one so go back and check it out.
> 
> As much as Kudos is welcome, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

A soft buzzing rouses Kihyun from his slumber, startling him. Blinking blearily, Kihyun locates the source of his disturbance; it's his phone alarm. It's the same alarm Kihyun has been using for years now, but he still isn't used to waking up from it. Kihyun presses snooze and drops his head back onto his pillow - he doesn't usually fall back asleep, but these days he's been very tired, so he doesn't take the chance. It's then he notices an arm slung over his waist and a leg curling over both of his like a snake. He looks beside him, and  _yup, Hyunwoo-hyung is fast asleep._  

Between the two of them, Kihyun is the one who usually wakes up first, because his job is further away from home and so he needs to leave earlier than Hyunwoo to make it on time, and also because he's the one who usually cooks between them. Hyunwoo always says that there is no need to burden himself, but Kihyun likes it - he enjoys the tranquility that comes with it. 

Sighing softly, Kihyun forces himself up and heads to the bathroom, washing his face and brushing his teeth in record time. Then he quickly pads to the kitchen, opening the fridge and checking for leftovers and ingredients. Usually, he cooks lunch for them both unless he knows beforehand that either one of them was eating out; if that was the case he makes breakfast instead, or portions the food accordingly. Kihyun makes himself a cup of tea, sipping it while he cooks and singing under his breath.

Soon enough the food is ready and he packs it up in a container, complete with utensils and Hyunwoo’s large bottle of water (the man will never remember to take care of himself,  _honestly, how did he survive before meeting me in university_ , Kihyun thinks).

He takes one look at the clock in the hallway and -  _shit, I'm going to be late -_ sprints to the bathroom, only to come back out a moment later to get his towel. Kihyun takes a quick shower and dresses quickly, running all over the apartment to grab his essentials ( _where the fuck did I put the damn house keys, fucking hell Yoo Kihyun we have a key holder for a reason_ ) while buttoning his shirt and by the time he's done he's saying more cuss words than acceptable under his breath and he nearly forgets to comb his hair.

He rushes out, grabbing his shoes and hastily putting on his sock, but then realizes he's forgotten something more important than his house keys.

He runs back to the bedroom with just one sock on, footsteps getting quieter as he reaches the door. Opening it softly, Kihyun takes in Hyunwoo's sleeping form as he sits at the edge of the bed, carding his fingers through messy hair softly as he glances at his watch every few seconds. Kihyun has learned early on that waking Hyunwoo is a very delicate task. Coddle him awake and he’ll be the Hyunwoo everyone knows and prefers. Wake him up roughly and deal with a moody child that refuses to cooperate the rest of the day.

"Hyung," he whispers. "Hey. Wake up." Hyunwoo groans, and squints at Kihyun. He looks cute but at the same time is such a pain in the butt, but Kihyun doesn’t have the time to notice either things.

"I'm leaving for work, okay? I'll see you this evening. I made lunch for you but if you already made plans then just put it in the fridge before leaving okay, or it'll go bad. I'm having lunch with Minhyuk today so it's only for you," he says softly, patting Hyunwoo's cheek and running his thumb across his jaw to get him to not fall back asleep.

Hyunwoo nods, almost nodding back into dreamland. "I'm going now, bye hyung," he says, pecking the elder on the head and rushing out. Hyunwoo mumbles a "Have a good day." but it barely sounds comprehensible and Kihyun's out of the door by then. A few seconds later Kihyun pops back into the bedroom to shout "Make sure you make the bed, Hyunwoo-hyung! Love you!" Hyunwoo groans once more and snuggles deeper into his blanket.

Half an hour later Kihyun gets a call from Hyunwoo while he's on the train. He sighs internally and picks up.

"Yeah, hyung?," he asks although he knows exactly what Hyunwoo is going to say.

"Hey, Kihyun, did you make breakfast?," Hyunwoo asked. He sighed.

"It's for lunch, hyung, but if you want to have it for breakfast then go ahead," he says, gritting his teeth.  _Why do I even bother?_ , he thinks, resisting to slap his forehead.  _I packed it up, of course it’s going to be for lunch._

"Ah, I forgot to tell you, I'm having lunch with the office today, sorry Kihyunnie," Hyunwoo says sheepishly.

"It's fine hyung, just put it in the fridge if you're not going to eat it for breakfast either."

"No, no," Hyunwoo interjected. "I'll have it for breakfast."

Kihyun smiles a little. Kihyun didn't mind if he didn't eat, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t appreciate the sentiment.

"Hyung, did you make the bed?," Kihyun asks.

"Yes," Hyunwoo answers automatically. Kihyun rolls his eyes, muttering a sharp "Don't lie to me." and then grumbling when Hyunwoo laughs awkwardly. "Go make it now," Kihyun orders. Hyunwoo promises to make it after eating. Kihyun knows he will probably forget, but doesn't push it. A soft  ** _ping_** sounds throughout the train, and Kihyun looks out the large windows of the vehicle as he hears the announcement. It's his stop.

"Oh, it's your stop. Bye Kihyunnie, have a good day at work. I love you. I’ll see you in the evening."

"Bye hyung, I love you too. Don’t forget to lock up before you leave" Kihyun says softly, hanging up after hearing an affirmative from Hyunwoo.

This happened nearly every day; it was routine, but it never failed to perk Kihyun up even at least a little.


	3. Doing Laundry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter is short. It's only the third chapter but I'm already struggling with the prompts lmao. Nevertheless, here it is.
> 
> As much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

“Hmm…,” Kihyun hummed, frowning at a piece of paper clutched in his hand.

“What’s that?,” Hyunwoo asked, walking into the living room with an apple in hand.

Kihyun turned around at the sound of his voice and proceeded to hand the paper over to Hyunwoo.

“Our electricity bill for this month. It got higher.”

Hyunwoo scanned the paper and looked at Kihyun’s concerned face. “Yeah, by 10 bucks or so I think? That’s not much. Don’t worry about it.”

Kihyun shook his head. “It already went up from the month before, and now it’s increased again. And anyway, don’t you think it’s still too high, hyung? We’re barely home all day, except for the weekends. Even then we don’t really use that much. I think it’s strange.”

“Okay,” Hyunwoo said, nodding. “What do we do then?,” he prompted.

Kihyun hummed once more and started walking around the house, inspecting their appliances carefully with Hyunwoo trailing behind him silently. Turning off random switches and pulling out cables from sockets, Kihyun muttered: “Let’s only plug it in and turn it on when we want to use this.”

As he entered the kitchen his eyes traveled to the washing machine and electric dryer they kept in the far corner of the room.

“Hyung, how often do you wash your clothes?,” he asked.

“Uh, every other day I think? I’m not sure, Kihyunnie, I never keep track,” Hyunwoo answered, taking another bite out of his apple.

“That’s it!,” Kihyun cried, clapping his fist onto his palm in a triumphant manner. “I wash my stuff as soon as I know I need to wear them again, so that’s pretty much every day. We’d save a lot more if we washed our things together in bigger loads.”

“You’re right,” Hyunwoo said, smiling slightly.

 

They’d originally planned to take turns doing the laundry each week, but then each time one of them would be swamped with work or forgotten completely and the other would do it because there was something in there they needed to wear the next day.

“I’m home!,” Kihyun called, huffing as he took off his shoes and socks and removing his coat.

“Welcome back,” Hyunwoo shouted from the kitchen, snacking on a chocolate bar as he stared at the clothes getting thrown around haphazardly in the confines of the washing machine.

“Where are y- Oh, hey, why’d you do the laundry? I was going to do it when I came home,” Kihyun asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and taking a large gulp.

“It’s nearly ten Kihyunnie, I know you’re tired. What do you want for dinner?,” he asked.

“Can you make some ramen while I take a shower?,” Kihyun requested. Hyunwoo nodded, turning on the kettle and grabbing a pot, but was stopped when he felt arms circulating his waist, Kihyun’s body pressing close to his own.

He turned, pulling Kihyun’s hands to his neck and letting one of his own grasp Kihyun’s waist, the other reaching to the back of his head to play with the hair at the back of his neck.

“Thanks, hyung,” Kihyun murmured, words muffled from burying his head into Hyunwoo’s chest.

“What for?,” Hyunwoo asked confusedly.

“Just – for taking care of me.”

Hyunwoo smiled, bending his head to brush his lips against Kihyun’s in a soft, chaste kiss, lips curving upwards even more when he felt Kihyun grin against him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you notice Hyunwoo eating throughout the fic lmao, our bear is always hungry.


	4. Night In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter is once again slightly short, and is borderline crack-ish (lol just like MONSTA X themselves). It is also late because for once I went out of my house. I don't remember the sun being that hot or bright. I think I forgot how it works.
> 
> As much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

Once a week, Kihyun and Hyunwoo had a date night in. Minhyuk said that was as “freaking old, married couple-ish” as they could get, but funnily enough, he was the reason they started their little tradition in the first place.

_“Hyung,” Kihyun called from outside their shared bedroom, knocking on the door._

_“Yeah?,” Hyunwoo asked in a muffled voice._

_“Dinner’s off, Minhyuk got sick.”_

_A moment later, Hyunwoo opened the door, jeans still unbuttoned and without a shirt._

_“Is he okay?,” he asked, frowning._

_“Food poisoning, but Hyungwon’s taking care of him. He told us to go ahead if we wanted to.”_

_Hyunwoo hummed. “Do you want to?,” he asked._

_“Honestly? Not really. It wouldn’t be as fun without them.” Hyunwoo nodded. Staying in sounded like a pretty good option in his book too._

_Changing into his most comfortable pajamas, Hyunwoo settled himself on the couch and flicked through the television. “Kihyunnie!,” he called suddenly. “There’s a lot of good movies tonight on TV!”_

_“Hyunwoo-hyung,” Kihyun stuck his head out of the kitchen. “What do you want for dinner?”_

_Hyunwoo shook his head. “I’m not hungry right now, we can order pizza if you want later, come sit with me,” he whined._

_Kihyun laughed. “You? Not hungry? That’s a first,” he teased, settling into the couch beside the older man, smiling when the other rearranged himself to lay his head on Kihyun’s lap. Kihyun let his palm lay flat on the elder’s hair, finger grasping at the strands and mindlessly playing with it as he stared at Hyunwoo watch the movie._

_Leaning down, Kihyun booped his nose against the other’s, laughing at the surprised look on Hyunwoo’s face._

_“What was that for?,” he asked._

_“You’re. Just. So. Cute.” Kihyun mumbled, booping his nose in between each word._

_“Do it again,” Hyunwoo ordered with a smile, tilting his head and kissing Kihyuns’s lips at the last moment._

_“Hey!,” Kihyun gasped. Hyunwoo laughed. They continued to play with each other, giggling even harder when they realized they missed the entire movie and hadn’t even had dinner._

_Calling the pizza place was even more of a challenge for the couple when Kihyun kept switching back and forth between toppings as Hyunwoo tried to order._

_“I want pineapples,” he said one second, and the next he was asking for olives instead. Hyunwoo glared at him, and the younger finally relented by asking for pepperoni, but just as Hyunwoo finalized the order he’d cried out a “No wait, I want-,” the rest of his words getting cut off when Hyunwoo picked up a throw pillow from the couch and slapped it in his face._

_After a long (not really), agonizing (dramatically) wait the pizza arrived, and in their excitement, they’d almost forgotten to pay the delivery guy._

_“Wait wait wait,” Kihyun said loudly. “We waited so long for this precious food, shouldn’t we have a good backdrop? Let’s go up to the rooftop and look at the stars.” He grabbed the boxes of pizza and ran right out of the apartment, Hyunwoo vehemently disagreeing but hot on his trails._

_But in his haste, Kihyun had forgotten to check the weather outside, so when they opened the door to the rooftop they were met with heavy drizzling. “You do realize that there weren't that many stars in the city sky anyways right?,” Hyunwoo asked, adding salt to the wound, pulling Kihyun back to their apartment._

_As they practically inhaled their pizza, hunger fueled by their childish antics Kihyun said :“That was so fun, we should do this more often.”_

_Hyunwoo’s wide grin, chubby cheeks stuffed with pizza told Kihyun he more than agreed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That booping scene... I just had to okay IT WAS TOO GOOD OF A CHANCE TO PASS UP AT THIS RATE THEY'RE GOING TO BE KISSING IN EVERY BLOODY CHAPTER meh they're cute so who cares, right?
> 
> I put a lot of laughter in this chapter because I haven't had that in a while and I needed it so.


	5. Nighttime Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late again today because I HAVE NO INSPIRATION AND I ACTUALLY HAVE A LIFE I CAN'T BELIEVE IT (I hate it tho staying cooped up is so much more fun.)
> 
> Warning: Suggestive themes ahead.
> 
> Anyways, as much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

“I’m home!,” Kihyun called, closing the door and taking off his shoes.

“Hey, welcome home,” Hyunwoo said from the sofa. “You’re back early,” Hyunwoo noted, motioning at Kihyun to bend down and pecking him on the lips. Kihyun grinned.

“I finished all my work so my boss let me go early. I’m starving, does lasagna sound good for dinner?,” he asked, removing his tie and pulling out his shirt tucked underneath his pants. Hyunwoo hummed noncommittally, and Kihyun took that as a yes.

“Okay, I’m taking a shower first,” he announced.

“Can I join you? We should save water, think of our bills,” Hyunwoo asked, grinning shamelessly.

“That’s not what you were saying the other day about our electricity bill, hyung,” Kihyun shot, but left the door slightly open as he turned on the shower, cackling when he heard Hyunwoo curse after bumping into something in his haste.

After a not so quick shower, both of them stepped into the kitchen and started on dinner. Well, mostly Kihyun did. Hyunwoo just took out whatever he asked for from the fridge and gave it to him. Once it was done they sat beside each other on the sofa, asking each other the mundane questions as they ate and sipped on tea.

“How was work?,” Kihyun asked.

“It was okay, same old same old. What about you? Did your boss like your proposal?”

Kihyun grinned and nodded. “She did. She said if the higher-ups like it too they’ll choose it and let me oversee the entire project. If that happens then I’m sure I’ll get promoted,” he said proudly.

Hyunwoo smiled. “That’s awesome, I’m so proud of you.”

As soon as dinner was done Hyunwoo went ahead to do the dishes and clean the countertop while Kihyun stepped into the bathroom once more to wash his face and brush his teeth and by the time he was out Hyunwoo was laying on their bed, looking up at the ceiling without a sound.

Kihyun stood in front of their dresser, grabbing several bottles and began applying them to his face. At this point Hyunwoo was watching him instead, fingers absentmindedly playing with the edge of his pillow as he stared at Kihyun dotting various substances all over his skin and patting them in quick, firm motions.

Kihyun has always been a devout skincare believer; his habit of investing in a nearly unreasonable amount of products with nearly unreasonable prices and using them to the T consistently and without fail has always baffled Hyunwoo.

“Not everyone is born with lovely baby skin like yours, hyung,” Kihyun said once when Hyunwoo asked him about this, patting his cheeks with soft fingers. “It’s a bit like you working out. You don’t get those strong muscles without your weights, right?,” he’d asked back, and Hyunwoo couldn’t deny that he was right.

Finally, Kihyun put everything back and turned out the lights, settling into bed beside Hyunwoo. “It’s so cold,” he groaned, ordering a sharp “Come here.” But before Hyunwoo could move he’d rolled on top of the older, settling his chin on Hyunwoo's chest and intertwining their legs together.

Hyunwoo huffed out a “You’re heavy,” but settled his hands behind Kihyun’s hips, laying his palms on his butt and mindlessly started tapping and squeezing it.

“I have work tomorrow and so do you, old man,” Kihyun said bluntly.

“I know,” Hyunwoo grinned despite knowing Kihyun couldn’t see him and kept playing with his butt, slowing down and letting his hands rest on them again after a while.

“Goodnight, Hyunwoo-hyung,” he heard Kihyun whisper and before he could answer he felt a pair of lips press against his own in a slow, deep kiss.

“Night, Kihyunnie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could you tell how half-assed this chapter was? Please let me know, I'll re-write it tomorrow or something, I don't feel like it was good.


	6. Shopping (For Needs)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Chapter is a little heavy, you might have more feels than usual.
> 
> As much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

10 P.M on a Tuesday night sees Hyunwoo and Kihyun at Tesco, still in their work clothes as they rush through the giant building with their trolleys full of food, toiletries and other necessary items. There’s only less than an hour until closing time and most of the fresh veggies are gone, but their pantry and fridge are close to empty and they haven’t had the time to go shopping in nearly a month.

In their defense they had planned to go earlier in the day, but Hyunwoo had suddenly been piled with last-minute work and he was the one who had the car, so even if Kihyun went on his own he wouldn’t have been able to carry everything back alone, and shopping for groceries online never appealed to him.

They manage to get everything in record time, thanking the heavens that they decided to split up and meet by the cashier at 10:35. Each of them get in line at different counters, and soon enough Hyunwoo makes his payment, waiting by the exit for Kihyun to join him.

In front of Kihyun is a lady who looks appears to be around their age, and she seems to be doing her weekly  (more like monthly) shopping as well; her load seems more than Hyunwoo and Kihyun’s combined. Hyunwoo observes as the lady scans each item at the checkout as quickly as she could, and sees Kihyun scrolling on his phone, eyes lifting up to look at her every few seconds, and something tells Hyunwoo their little shopping excursion wasn’t going to end well.

Hyunwoo watches as the lady scans her credit card, and – _yup, it’s not accepting her card_ , he thinks, seeing panic take over her face as she turns to call for help from the employees and his eyes flit over to Kihyun, expecting the younger man to be glaring unhappily, maybe even shouting –

But he’s not. Hyunwoo is mildly surprised when Kihyun doesn’t even look annoyed as he steps forward and swipes his card, dismissing the lady’s protests and apologies and thank yous with a small, awkward smile on his face.  He even helps her pack up her groceries and sends her on her way without so much as a word.

Later in the car, Hyunwoo asks Kihyun about it.

“Did you see the look on her face, hyung? The lady looked like she was about to cry. She must have had such a bad day if something so small managed to get her like that,” Kihyun says, and Hyunwoo is at awe at just how _kind_ Kihyun is despite being short-tempered that he doesn’t even wait to get home before kissing him full on the lips.

Turns out Kihyun was right, as Hyunwoo’s sleep is interrupted (again) the next morning right after Kihyun leaves for work. It’s the lady, and in his somnolence, Hyunwoo doesn’t recognize her or wonders how she knows where they live until she explains that she lives in that very complex and has seen them a few times.

She’s a single mother whose husband left her and their three children just days ago, and she’s been a wreck but trying to get back up on her feet, which explained her episode at the supermarket the night before. She nearly starts crying again as she thanks Hyunwoo and asks him to send her regards and gratitude to Kihyun, promising to pay them back.

Hyunwoo dismisses it, telling her that it was no trouble and she can always come to them if she ever needs anything, and as he sends her back to her apartment and sees her kids, all tiny little children who are quiet and cute and so precious, Hyunwoo thinks he’s fallen in love with Kihyun all over again.


	7. Exercising

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unoriginal chapter is unoriginal.
> 
> Warning: Chapter is very suggestive.
> 
> As much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated.

Recently, Kihyun started taking up yoga. He wanted to get fit, especially since Hyunwoo’s been doing so for a while now, deciding to finally make good use of his set of weights he’d brought from Korea (Kihyun remembers being so mad when the elder didn’t tell him about it and they ended up paying the fee for excessive baggage.) and waking up earlier to go jogging every morning.

Kihyun didn’t feel insecure or anything, he just thought it was about time he started looking after his health more. As typical as it sounded, he could feel himself aging – now seemed the best time to start taking care of himself, and that included his physical health. So he’d decided on yoga, because most sports were too fast-paced and tiring for his tastes.

What did Hyunwoo think about this? Hyunwoo thought it was great that his boyfriend was making an effort to stay healthy, and even decided to exercise with him on the weekend, thinking it would be a great way to spend time together and watch as Kihyun struggled to keep up with his virtual instructor on his laptop.

But boy oh boy, how wrong he was.

It’s Saturday morning and Hyunwoo is warming up as Kihyun steps out of their bedroom in a new pair of yoga pants he’d enthusiastically invested in to kick-off his new habit, and Hyunwoo can’t take his eyes of Kihyun’s lower half in the form-fitting bottoms.

He shakes his head and starts off with his weights, keeping count in his head as he watches Kihyun roll out an exercise mat and playing a video on YouTube, keeping the sound of the instructor’s voice low enough for him to hear as he starts stretching.

Surprisingly, Kihyun is naturally pretty flexible, so he breezes through most of the beginners’ poses,  humming in satisfaction as he twists his body this way and that, enjoying the stretch of his muscles and evening out his breathing.

At this point Hyunwoo’s arms move robotically and he loses count of how many times he’s been curling his biceps, shaking out of his stupor when Kihyun catches his eyes and smiles in the middle of some weird named-after-an-animal-doing-whatever-an-animal-normally-does pose, back arched up and legs bent to his sides, panting a little and Hyunwoo drops his weights, laying down and focusing on his push-ups instead of envisioning Kihyun in obscene ways.

Suddenly he can hear Kihyun let out a soft moan, and he looks up and nearly curses because Kihyun – Kihyun is standing up, with his back facing Hyunwoo and he’s got his legs wide apart, bending his body all the way until his head is between his legs. He’s covered in sweat, and he’s shaking a little from all the exertion and like this, his butt is sticking out in the air, right in Hyunwoo’s field of vision, and the sight reminds Hyunwoo too much of –

 _Fuck this,_ Hyunwoo thinks, getting up and pulling Kihyun upright, ignoring his questions as he grabs Kihyun’s wrist and leads him to their bedroom without a word, locking the door behind him and finally giving in to his vulgar imagination.

Hyunwoo never watches Kihyun work out after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not so sure why, but this image of Kihyun being forced to attend Latin dance classes and having Hyunwoo as his instructor and then ending up getting attracted to each other won't seem to leave me alone...


	8. Wearing Each Other's Clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the actual fact that Hyunwoo wears the tightest bloody shirts known to mankind, especially during Hero promotions, like lmfao please chill are you trying to thirst us to oblivion.
> 
> As much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

For once, Kihyun gets home before Hyunwoo, so Hyunwoo nearly gets a heart attack when he enters the living room and hears a loud “Tsk.”, despite there not being anyone he could see.

“Hyung, how many times do I have to tell you to wear your own shirts?,” Kihyun nags, getting up from the couch, phone in hand.

“You scared me,” Hyunwoo mutters in reply. Kihyun walks forward, patting Hyunwoo’s chest rapidly. “How do you still even have your job? Look at this; it looks like it’s going to rip if you breathe in deep enough. Honestly, do you need new shirts? We can go get you some if you want.”

Hyunwoo smiles, because he knows it’s not the fact that he’s stealing his shirts that bother the shorter man. “Kihyunnie,” he coos, pecking Kihyun on the cheek and removing his tie. “I was in a rush and I just grabbed the first thing I saw. I’m sorry, I won’t take your shirts anymore if it makes you that jealous.”

“I am not jealous,” Kihyun retaliated. “And anyway, we have our clothes separated, how on earth did you still manage to take my shirts?”

“I just like the way they smell, Kihyunnie.”

“Then use my damn detergent!,” Kihyun protests, irritated by the man’s nonchalance. “Spray my cologne all over yourself or something.”

Hyunwoo guffaws, going into the kitchen for a snack. He can hear Kihyun stomping behind him, but really, his irritation just amuses Hyunwoo to no end. “Hyung, I’m serious. Don’t wear my clothes,” he says, leaning against the counter. “I don’t like it.”

Hyunwoo just smiles as he messily cuts an apple into slices, offering one to Kihyun and then force-feeding him when he shakes his head.

Grabbing his waist and pulling him closer, Hyunwoo grins sweetly at him as he says “But, Kihyunnie, you do it too. You’re in my clothes right now.”

Kihyun frowns as he looks down because he is indeed in one of Hyunwoo’s  t-shirts, a few sizes too large for him and nearly covering his shorts.

“That’s different,” he insists stubbornly. “How so?,” Hyunwoo asks.

Kihyun huffs, because he knows Hyunwoo is just enjoying this. “I’m at home, and only you’re seeing me in this. You’re wearing my shirts _out_ , and without me. And you’re bigger than me so it looks all tight and sexy and I don’t like people seeing you like that,” he admits unhappily.

Hyunwoo just laughs, and Kihyun threatens to “beat your ass, Son Hyunwoo, or so help me if you don’t shut up and do as I say.”

“You’re so cute,” is all he says in reply, hugging Kihyun and drowning out whatever retorts he may have had.


	9. Nursing the Sick One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am terribly sorry I didn't post yesterday! I was out during the day, and then when I came back I ended up watching MAMA in Japan. Our boys looked really good, and I'm proud of them for bagging Best Concert Performer. They deserved it after working hard for their world tour! (Lowkey salty they didn't come to my country when they said they would TWO YEARS AGO, but also want them to rest because they're the loveliest who work too damn hard all the time for us fans)
> 
> Anyways, as usual, as much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

One would assume that between the two of them, it was Hyunwoo who fell sick easily and needed to be nursed back to health by Kihyun. In fact, although it was a rare occurrence that Kihyun fell sick, he was the one that needed taking care of when ill.

So when one such day Hyunwoo wakes up and finds Kihyun still hidden in the covers despite it being a weekday, he immediately reaches out to the younger, almost retracting his hands in surprise when his body is alarmingly hot. Hyunwoo is out of bed in a heartbeat, nearly sprinting to the bathroom to get the thermometer while calling Hyungwon to let him know he wouldn’t be coming in that morning.

“Kihyunnie,” Hyunwoo mumbles softly, stroking Kihyun’s head and laying the back of his hand against the other’s forehead. _He’s burning_ , Hyunwoo thought in concern as he slowly shook him awake. Kihyun manages to barely squint, eyes watery and Hyunwoo’s heart clenches at the sight.

“Hey, baby,” Hyunwoo whispers. “You have a fever, I want to take your temperature,” he explains, but Kihyun is shaking his head before he can finish and curling up, hands struggling to find the end of a blanket so he can cover himself.

Hyunwoo huffs, because a sick Kihyun is a stubborn Kihyun who, if left alone, would do nothing but sleep no matter how sick he was. He wouldn’t have an appetite, he wouldn’t take any medicines or visit a doctor, and he would never want anyone’s attention on him until he was feeling strong enough to manage himself.

“Kihyun,” Hyunwoo orders sharply. “Let me take your temperature or I will carry you to the clinic.” Kihyun shivers, and Hyunwoo doesn’t know if he’s scared or cold, but he adds “Bridal style, in front of everyone.” just for good measure, smiling triumphantly when the shorter turns slowly, a sad pout on his face.

“Is your throat okay? Do you have a cold?,” Hyunwoo asks as he presses the thermometer into Kihyun’s ear. “M’ throat’s sore, nose blocked,” Kihyun replies in a thick voice. Hyunwoo hums as he looks at the reading and cleans the thermometer, putting it back into the box.

“Can you walk?,” he asks, and Kihyun nods quickly. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he snaps.

“Okay, go brush your teeth, I’ll make you porridge,” Hyunwoo requests curtly, getting up and patting the younger’s head. Hyunwoo may not know how to cook, but he has picked up the art of porridge-making from years of caring for his mother when she fell sick, especially since it was just the two of them in the household. (Well, that, and Kihyun always preferred his porridge tasteless; without even salt which tremendously reduced the chance of Hyunwoo messing it up.)

Half a bowl of porridge and a whole lot of whining later, Hyunwoo has a few pills on his palm and a glass of water on the other, reaching out towards Kihyun with a slight nod of the head to pop them into his mouth. “Hyung, I can do it myself,” Kihyun protests, turning compliant when Hyunwoo complains of his hands hurting.

“You should go to work, there’s still time,” Kihyun suggests, sniffling. Hyunwoo ignores him, telling him to get some sleep and taking the bowl and glass to the kitchen. When he’s done cleaning he get back to the bedroom to check up on his fussy invalid, he finds him curled up but wide awake, breathing shallowly and staring at the door.

“Not sleepy?,” he asks.

“Are you going to work?,” Kihyun asks back, looking resigned when Hyunwoo shakes his head.

“I’m cold, come here and hold me,” he orders softly, and Hyunwoo grins. “Won’t you infect me?,” he teases despite getting on the bed and letting Kihyun mold himself into the elder. Kihyun says nothing, laying his head on Hyunwoo’s chest and covering them both with the sheets. Hyunwoo watches as Kihyun is lulled to sleep by the rhythmic movements of his chest, heart swelling with love.

 

Kihyun can only smile guiltily when Hyunwoo himself gets a fever the next day, himself feeling but a little weak. Now it was his turn to play nurse.


	10. Hair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly had no idea what to do for this prompt... so this happened. I suppose since I had cute Kihyun in the last chapter, I'd have cute Hyunwoo in this one. It's the shortest I've ever written for this story I think, but hey, at least I'm back on track. Let me know if it doesn't feel right, like too rushed or half-hearted or anything, I'll work on it again tomorrow.
> 
> As much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

“Kihyun?,” Hyunwoo calls, knocking on the bathroom door. “You’ve been in there for nearly two hours, come on, I really need to pee.”

“Go use the other bathroom,” Kihyun shouts from the inside.

“What – we don’t _have_ another bathroom,” Hyunwoo screams in exasperation. It’s all quiet, and just as he considers kicking it down, the door flings open and Hyunwoo steps in to finally get his business done when he realizes there’s an unusual odor I the air and _since when did Kihyun have grey hair, wow he looks handsome._

“How do I look?,” Kihyun asks, running a hand through his ashy locks.

“Handsome,” Hyunwoo says immediately, smiling when Kihyun beams at him. “But why the sudden change?”

“Minhyuk dyed his hair red and he looked really good so he convinced me to get my own hair coloured, but I was worried I wouldn’t like how it turned out so he bought me a bunch of temporary dyes in different colours and told me to try them out,” Kihyun explained, parting his hair at different places and checking if the colour was well-distributed.

“Ah,” Hyunwoo says.

“Hyung, you should try too! You’ll look really good this light brown he gave me,” Kihyun suggests excitedly. Hyunwoo hesitates, and Kihyun tells him that if it’s not to his tastes they’ll wash off in a couple of weeks; maybe even before if he washes his hair more often.

“Okay,” he says finally, “but can I pee first?”

 

 

Half an hour later Hyunwoo finds himself seated on the toilet bowl as Kihyun works on his hair. He feels relaxed; the smell of the dye is sweet, but not  overpowering, and Kihyun’s touch as he methodically parts each strand of hair and coats it in the thick dye mixture feels good, coupled with his quiet singing - Hyunwoo almost falls asleep, jerking awake when he doesn’t hear Kihyun’s voice anymore.

“Keep singing, Kihyunnie,” he whines tiredly, eyes fighting to stay open.

“Are you sleepy, Hyunwoo-yah?,” Kihyun teases, coming in front of him and cooing. Hyunwoo pouts and Kihyun just chuckles, kissing the older’s cheeks as Hyunwoo’s eyelids droop once more. He feels Kihyun’s hands on his head once more, and gives in to sleep when he finally hears Kihyun’s voice.


	11. Coffee and/or Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is a lot more appreciated. Enjoy!

Kihyun is a tea person. Throughout his years of high school and university, and now in his working days his choice of caffeine to help him pull through his day (or night) has been the ‘weaker’ beverage – not coffee, like most of his peers preferred. There wasn’t much of a story to tell about this penchant he has for it, he just preferred the taste of a nice oolong to, say, a decaf, although he does admit the scent of roasted coffee beans is divine. Kihyun always has a glass of hot green tea every morning, adding a tinge of lemon juice so that the sour taste would wake him up a little more. He even keeps a box of ginger tea sachets in his office, and some days he ends up drinking more tea than water without realizing.

Hyunwoo was a coffee person through and through. From his teen years, Hyunwoo has indulged himself in coffee at least once every other day – even multiple times one day when he had all-nighters to pull. At first, he only downed it for the caffeine, needing something that would forcibly keep himself awake for endless revision. He remembers staring in distaste at his mug for a solid ten minutes before forcing himself to chug up the entirety of black coffee in one go, taking a nap immediately after and waking up to study for whatever test he had the next day. But as time went on he began to enjoy the familiar taste, and it became an essential part of his life.

When they got together their opposite tastes amused each other to end. Kihyun would order the same beverage Hyunwoo did whenever they were out, each time trying to see just what was so good about it and then regretting wasting their money once more. Hyunwoo would try one of Kihyun’s peppermint teas when he had stomach aches but would be able to barely even take a sip, the smell and taste too unattractive to his senses. Neither of them took offense, however, even exclaiming that they were glad they got the chance to drink more of the stuff.

However, years later as they settled down with each other, they often found themselves surprised when something like this would happen:

“Is that… chamomile tea?,” Kihyun asked in a shocked voice. Hyunwoo looks at him, and then at his own cup.

“It tastes good,” is all he says in defense, before widening his eyes.

“You made coffee, I saw you starting the coffee maker while I boiled water for my tea!,” Hyunwoo accuses.

 “No, I made it for y-,” Kihyun starts, staring at his own cup and expecting it to be one of his many teas.

“It tastes good?,” Kihyun tries, chuckling at the weird expression Hyunwoo always makes when he tries to look mad.

Hyunwoo ends up laughing along, and they both take a long sip, savoring the distinct tastes of the drinks.


	12. Cooking Together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 1/9.

“What’s this?,” Hyunwoo asked loudly, peering at the container on the kitchen island.  Hearing no answer from his boyfriend, Hyunwoo opened it, curiously taking a look inside. _Cookies?_ Taking a quick bite with one hand and grabbing the container with the other, Hyunwoo made his way out into the living room.

“Kihyun-ah, what is this?,” he repeated. Kihyun looked up from his phone, letting out a quiet “Ah.” when he eyed the canister. “The neighbors stopped by today, they gave us that. Ah, hyung, I didn’t know what to say in English. I felt so awkward,” he whined.

“The old couple next door?,” Hyunwoo confirmed. Kihyun nodded. “We should give them something too.”

“Yeah, we should give them something nice. Something Korean,” Kihyun decided. “ _Kimchi_?,” Hyunwoo suggested immediately. “Hyung, we didn’t even bring that much kimchi with us from home, just enough until we can make our own, and we shouldn’t give them anything store-bought,” Kihyun reasoned, looking unimpressed.

“Plus, the taste might be a bit too strong for them,” Kihyun added. “What about _japchae_?”

Before Hyunwoo could say anything, Kihyun dismissed the idea. “I don’t know if we can get glass noodles around here- Oh! Hyung, let’s make _pajeon_. _Haemul pajeon_. We have everything, and we can just get some squid and shrimp from the store. It isn’t spicy or anything, so it should be okay.”

Hyunwoo smiled, and they both nodded, eyes wide with excitement.

They went on to make a quick trip to the supermarket nearby, and soon enough were back in the kitchen, ready to start cooking. Hyunwoo looked over at Kihyun expectantly as the younger stared at the ingredients in front of them, gathering his thoughts and running through his mental checklist.

“Okay,” he finally announced, moving forward and grabbing a chopping board. “Hyung, you cut the green onions – just cut them into thirds, it doesn’t matter if they’re not all the same length,” Kihyun said as Hyunwoo opened his mouth to ask “and then slice the chili peppers as thin as possible.”

“Like this?,” Hyunwoo asked, cutting a few slices of the red pepper and showing it to the younger man. “No, a little thinner.” Hyunwoo tried again, meticulously placing the knife to make the pepper as small as he could, a small frown on his face.

Kihyun, who had been cleaning and slicing the squid stopped as he watched Hyunwoo focus on his task. “Hyung, you look like you’re having an identity crisis,” he chuckled. Hyunwoo furrows his eyebrows even more, purposely widening his eyes and Kihyun started cackling at the comical look.

The rest of their food-making went on uneventfully as Kihyun left Hyunwoo to make the pancakes, himself going back to the counter to prepare a simple dipping sauce. “Make sure you wait for a bit before pouring the batter in, or the green onions, squid and shrimp won’t crisp up and it won’t taste as good,” Kihyun reminded, keeping an eye on the stove. Hyunwoo nodded, eyes never leaving the pan.

Pouring most of the sauce into a small container, Kihyun took the first pancake, tearing it with his hands and dipping it in the remaining sauce in the bowl. “Hyung,” he called, walking over to the older man and reaching out to feed him. “Taste good?,” he asked.

“Mhm,” Hyunwoo nodded, chewing slowly as he placed another pancake on the stack.

“How’s the sauce? Is it too salty?”

“No, no, it’s delicious,” Hyunwoo said, placing the last of the seafood onto the pan and stirring them a little.

“What if they don’t like it?,” Kihyun replied, anxiety creeping into his voice.

“Don’t worry, they’ll love it. I can always eat it if you don’t want to give it to them,” Hyunwoo said, reaching out to tear another piece of the pancake and popping it into his mouth as he heard Kihyun’s laugh.

 

Kihyun takes a deep breath as he holds on to his neighbour’s plate, colourful _pajeon_ on them instead of the cookies she’d gifted them earlier that day. He watches as Hyunwoo rings the doorbell once more, and breaks into a friendly, albeit awkward smile as she opens up, a man he presumes is her husband standing beside her.

“Oh, hello,” she says warmly. “Do come in, I just made dinner.”

Hyunwoo smiles and thanks her, Kihyun mirroring his sentiments with a quiet mumble as they step into the threshold.

Hyunwoo looks at him, and Kihyun inhales once more as he steps forward and thrusts the plate towards here. “For you,” he says in stilted English. “This is pancakes. Korean pancakes. We hope you enjoy it.” She smiles even wider, taking the plate and giving it to the man, ordering him to place it in the kitchen.

“Thank you, that was very sweet of you both, how did you like the cookies?”

“They were very delicious, thank you…,” Hyunwoo trails off, and she gasps as she motions at them to take a seat.

“Dear me, I can’t believe I didn’t introduce myself, my name is Hannah Toms. This is my husband, Stewart. We’ve been living here for the past six – no, seven I think - years,” she says as the man takes his place beside her. The man reaches out to shake both their hands, a small but genuine smile gracing his features.

“My name is Hyunwoo, Mrs. Toms, it’s nice to meet you,” Hyunwoo says.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Kihyun,” Kihyun copies shyly.

“You two are from Korea?,” she asks curiously. The two of them nod, telling her they came here to work and settle down.

“And if I may ask… are the two of you in a relationship?”

Kihyun stiffens at the question, and Hyunwoo nods, a nervous smile overtaking his features. The old lady smiles again, and calls them a cute couple, asking them more about their life in Korea and both Kihyun and Hyunwoo bashfully relax as they answer all her questions.

She insists they stay for dinner, but they refuse, telling her they’ll come by another day, and as they enter their own place Kihyun remarks about how nice she is.

“She even thought we made a cute couple,” he gushes, and Hyunwoo smiles.

“And I agree,” he mumbles, pulling Kihyun into his arms and pecking his forehead.


	13. Washing Dishes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 2/9

Between the two of them, Kihyun was the one who did the cooking whereas Hyunwoo would do the cleaning up afterward; which was why Kihyun felt a little strange and almost lethargic as he walked to the kitchen to start putting away leftovers from dinner. Hyunwoo was away for the week on some work business, leaving Kihyun alone in their little apartment.

Kihyun looked at the food, contemplating if he should keep it or throw it out. Usually, he would keep it but Kihyun already had the habit of cooking portions too large, and without Hyunwoo here to dutifully (and delightfully) gobble it up, it would probably just take up space in the fridge for days on end and ultimately end up in the trashcan anyways.

Just as he’d turned on the tap to start washing his phone rang, signaling a video call. Smiling, he padded to the living room, spotting the slim device on the couch and picking it up and answering.

“Hey, hyung,” he called, grinning at the slightly blur face on the screen.

“Kihyunnie,” Hyunwoo cooed, wide smile showcasing the top row of his teeth. “Have you eaten?” Kihyun hummed, carrying the phone to the kitchen. “I was just going to start cleaning up, you?,” he asked back.

“I had noodles earlier,” Hyunwoo answered. Kihyun frowned.

“Instant noodles?,” he asked, going on without waiting for an answer as he started washing the utensils, “But you had that yesterday too, you can’t eat that every day, hyung, I’m sure you know that.”

Hyunwoo pouted, and Kihyun glared unimpressively at the older before concentrating on his task. “But the food here is expensive, and they don’t even taste good.”

“You’re just too used to my fabulous cooking,” the younger said smugly, bursting into laughter when Hyunwoo nodded in agreement. “Seriously though, I don’t want you eating anymore instant whatever for the rest of your trip, Son Hyunwoo, or you’ll get it from me.”

“Alright, alright, but you’ll have to cook me a feast when I come back then, baby,” Hyunwoo said jokingly.

“Baby?,” Kihyun echoed, biting his lower lip in an attempt to hide his beam. “You haven’t called me that in a while, Hyunwoo-yah.”

“I miss you,” Hyunwoo confessed softly. Kihyun stopped working, regarding the other in silence before letting his lips pull upwards a little. “I miss you too, you big baby, even though it’s only been a few days. It’s really lonely here without you.”

“I’ll be back soon,” Hyunwoo promised.

“And I’ll be waiting for you when you do,” Kihyun replied.


	14. Homework and/or Job Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 3/9

Hyunwoo never brought home work. He would either stay as long as he needed to in the office, or give up and call it a day, going to work earlier the next morning to finish it up. So when Kihyun stepped into the apartment and saw the older typing away at his laptop, papers littering their coffee table and the couch, to say he was taken by surprise was an understatement.

“Woah, hyung, what are you doing?,” Kihyun asked, staring at the mess in front of him. Hyunwoo looked up at the sound of his voice, fixing his reading glasses.

“Apparently we forgot to cover one major part for our presentation with the marketing team tomorrow, so I have to get it done by tonight so that I can email them and have them finalize the whole thing,” Hyunwoo explained.

Kihyun nodded. “So why didn’t you stay back at the office?”

“This would have taken a while, and I didn’t want to leave you alone until so late. Plus I only realized after I left.”

The shorter hummed, asking Hyunwoo if he’d had his dinner yet and clicking his tongue in disapproval when Hyunwoo hollered a “No, later.” back at him. He would have nagged but he supposed whatever Hyunwoo was doing was really urgent and let it be, hopping into the shower instead.

As soon as he’s out he makes the older a fresh mug of coffee and takes a seat at the other end of the sofa, going through his phone like he usually did.

“You should have your dinner and go to bed first Kihyunnie, I don’t think I’ll finish anytime soon,” Hyunwoo advised, eyes never leaving the harsh glare of the bright screen.

“Okay, hyung,” Kihyun said disinterestedly, not moving an inch of himself. Hyunwoo sighs but gets back to work.

  
By the time he’s done, it’s half past midnight and Hyunwoo stretches out, feeling his joints pop and his stiff muscles relax. He takes a look at his side and Kihyun is still seated on the sofa, fast asleep with his phone in his hand.

Hyunwoo doesn’t think twice as he bends down to pick the other up, the jostle waking him up.

“Hyung, what-? What time is it?,” he asks, voice heavy from sleep. “It’s twelve, Kihyun, I told you to go to bed.” Kihyun groans, mumbling something about eating and Hyunwoo shushes him, placing him on the bed and leaving the room to turn off the lights.

When he gets back Kihyun is sitting up, eyes a little red and swollen. “Hyung, you haven’t eaten,” he complains.

“I won’t die from missing one meal, Kihyun-ah,” is all Hyunwoo says, turning off the bedroom light and getting into bed. Kihyun tries to protest, but a yawn cuts him short and Hyunwoo takes the chance to throw an arm around the younger’s waist, pulling him in and making himself comfortable.

He tries to listen to Kihyun’s fatigue-laced nagging, but soon enough sleep overtakes them both and leaves them in dreamland for the night.


	15. Family Visits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 4/9

“ _Eomoni_ ,” Kihyun called joyously, letting the older woman pull him and Hyunwoo into a warm hug.

“Kihyun-ah, Hyunwoo-yah,” she mumbled with a smile, regarding them both. “I’m so glad to see you both, it’s been so long.” Pulling back, she cupped her palms on their cheeks and takes a good look at them both, her smile growing wider.

“How are you two? Are you eating well? What about work? Is it too stressful-,” she bombards them with questions, and Hyunwoo chuckles, placing a hand on the small of her back, telling her that they’re still in the middle of a crowded airport and she can ask away when they get home.

The car ride is full of happy conversation and quiet laughter as Hyunwoo’s mother gets a first look at London and the couple fills her in on their lives in the vibrant city. “Well it’s no Seoul, but it’s beautiful; I see why you two like it here,” she finally says with a twinkle in her eye.

At the front, Kihyun and Hyunwoo share a glance, beaming at each other.

 

 

“What are you making, Kihyun-ah?,” she asks one afternoon, entering the kitchen and peering at the stove. It’s just two of them for the day, as Hyunwoo has to run a few errands. Kihyun has planned to take her out for the day, but he knows she doesn’t prefer eating out over home-cooked food.

“Oh, Hyunwoo-hyung said you liked _dongtae jjigae_ , so I’m making that for dinner. My cooking isn’t as good as yours, but I hope you’ll like it,” Kihyun says courteously. Her eyes light up and she runs a hand through his hair. “Nonsense,” she says gently. “Your cooking is wonderful; I’ve had your food before, and you didn’t have to trouble yourself making all this for me. I didn’t visit to give you more work, Kihyun-ah.” Kihyun shakes his head, assuring her that it’s no more work than usual, and lets her help out in the kitchen at her insistence.

Kihyun has always liked the woman, her calm, affectionate aura bringing him some sense of comfort and familial belonging he longed for. Her quiet yet loveable nature reminded Kihyun of Hyunwoo, and it makes him adore her all the more.

“How are things at home?,” he asks conversationally. As the woman speaks, he takes a good look at her, and if his memory serves him right, she’s gotten a little thinner. Even though it’s barely been a year since they’ve moved to London, it worries Kihyun that they’ve left her behind, so far away from them, and all alone, on top of that.

“ _Eomoni_ ,” he interrupts, catching her off guard. “Are you happy?”

She looks at him, confusion clear on her face at his sudden question.  Kihyun takes a deep breath, giving up on chopping the carrots temporarily as he meets her eyes.

“I know we’ve talked about this before, but are you really okay with me and Hyunwoo-hyung being here? Don’t you think it’s better if you were with us, whether it meant you came here or we went back?,” he asks. When she doesn’t reply immediately, he panics and bows his head a little, telling her he didn’t mean to be disrespectful.

“No, no, my dear,” she replies reassuringly. “I’m touched, but you two don’t have to worry about me. I’d rather stay in Korea, but I also want the two of you here. You won’t be as happy if you were there.”

To say that Kihyun is moved is an understatement; he’s happy that she sincerely wants them to be happy together, but it doesn’t ease the worry in his heart. He knows he’s probably being paranoid, but the fact that she’s all alone there doesn’t sit right with him or Hyunwoo. But there’s not much they can do if she doesn’t agree, so he nods his head in resignation and accepts the hug she offers.

A few minutes later she chuckles, and then chuckles again when Kihyun asks her what was so funny.

Shaking her head, Hyunwoo’s mother beams at him as she says “Hyunwoo asked me the exact same thing a couple of days ago; you two really are good for each other. I’m glad he has you, Kihyun-ah.”

Kihyun can’t help himself from smiling so wide his cheeks hurt, little dimples appearing at the top of his pink cheeks.

“I’m glad I have him too.”

 


	16. Trying Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 5/9

Kihyun isn’t surprised when he finds Hyunwoo in the kitchen when he comes home from work (Hyunwoo’s tendency to snack couldn’t be considered a habit to him, it was more like an _addiction_ , really), but he is surprised to see the elder folding what appears to be a lump of batter in their large mixing bowl, the countertop littered with spots of flour.

He approaches the man slowly, taking a good look at his surroundings. The oven is turned on and based on the ingredients laid out at the countertop, Kihyun confirms with himself that Hyunwoo is, indeed, baking.

“What are you making?,” he asked conversationally, like seeing Hyunwoo in his apron working on cakes is nothing new to him. He goes to playfully dip his finger into the batter despite being the type of person to thwack other people for doing the same, and laughs when Hyunwoo snaps out a “Don’t.” and huffs in irritation.

“Nothing, go take a shower,” he orders shortly.

“That doesn’t look like nothing to me,” he teases in return, but goes off to leave the elder alone. By the time he steps out of the shower the apartment is bathed in the lovely scent of vanilla, and Kihyun’s stomach is ravenous.

He goes to the kitchen just in time to see Hyunwoo pull out a cake tin from the oven and set it on top of a thick rag on the countertop. He wants to ask, but then decides against it, watching in amusement. Hyunwoo asks Kihyun if he can make spaghetti for dinner, and Kihyun obliges.

Only after they both have dinner does the older finally step out with a piece of the dessert, complete with a scoop of ice cream on top, and Kihyun accepts the plate with a small smile and a quiet word of thanks. He notices that Hyunwoo has only brought out one plate and is looking at him expectantly.

“So what made you want to debut as a _pâtissier,_ hyung?,” he asked playfully, drawing a laugh from the other.

“I just felt like trying something new,” Hyunwoo answered, nodding at the food and signaling at Kihyun to try it. Kihyun looks down at it, and he realizes it’s not cake; it’s a brownie, and it looks – and smells – really good. Cutting a sizeable piece and popping it into his mouth, Kihyun is immediately in love – it’s moist and fudgy and so chocolate-y, and although it’s a little too sweet for either of their tastes, he can’t deny that it is an amazing brownie.

“Oh my God, hyung,” Kihyun moans, voice muffled by the piece still in his mouth. “This is so bloody good, you have no idea.”

Hyunwoo chuckles, obviously flattered by the praise as Kihyun forks another piece and pushes it into his mouth although the first is still in there, looking like a hamster with his full cheeks. “Really?,” the taller asks, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. Kihyun looks up at him and then feeds him a piece, telling him to eat in a series of unintelligible hums and mumbles, nodding in excitement as Hyunwoo hums too from the taste of the brownie.

They spend the rest of the hour finishing the rest of the batch, and although they both wake the next day to unwelcome tummy aches, neither of them regret it one bit (Who can say no to skipping work for the day with a _legitimate_ reason? Exactly.).


	17. Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 6/9

Hyunwoo is dreaming. He always knows when he is, and moreover, he realizes that this wasn’t a really a dream – it was a memory. It was his memory of the first time he and Kihyun kissed, back when they were both in university.

Hyunwoo recognizes their surroundings almost immediately – they’re at a street crossing that stands between the bus stop Kihyun usually uses to get home, and the road that leads back to Hyunwoo’s apartment. They’d just gone on a date – their fourth, to be exact – and as they stop before parting ways, Hyunwoo takes a good look at Kihyun.

He’s dressed in a simple tee and jeans, his cheap bracelets littering his wrists in colourful swirls, but Hyunwoo finds him absolutely breath-taking. He likes all of Kihyun, he realizes as the shorter bids him goodnight and quickly crosses the street before the light turns red, he likes his face and his eyes and his body and his personality and his nagging and his cheekiness **_and-_**

The older doesn’t even realize he’s running after Kihyun until he’s reached him and tugged on his hand, forcing the other to stop and look at him, face pulled into a frown in confused silence. He doesn’t even realize as he pushes himself into the other’s space and plants a kiss on his lips, a hand still on his wrist and another flat behind his back.

It’s only when he feels the softness of Kihyun’s lips against his, coupled with the sharp gasp he lets out Hyunwoo gets back to reality, and it has him breaking the kiss as soon as he started it, shrinking back and gathering his scrambled thoughts as he stared at the other’s blank face.

Just as he’s ready to apologize for his sudden actions Kihyun’s face splits into a dazzling smile, and Hyunwoo is so wonderstruck by how handsome the other was it takes him a bit to grasp that they’re kissing again, and he can feel Kihyun’s slight hesitance brought on by his frozen state; Hyunwoo shakes it off, getting rid of his muddled thoughts and instead focusing on the beauty in front of him.

They kiss some more, and Hyunwoo feels light and euphoric from the slow, almost sensual meeting of their lips and –

“Hyung, come on, wake up already, it’s nearly ten!”

Hyunwoo wakes with a start, sleep-addled mind unable to form words as he looked around in confusion until he was met with Kihyun, _his_ Kihyun’s face, reminding himself of the dream earlier, and it fills him with warmth and the same infatuation he’d had for the younger man back then. He grabs the shorter’s wrist, ignoring his protests in favour of pulling him onto his body and reaching up to kiss his lips sweetly.

“I love you,” he whispers when they finally pull apart, and this time the dazzling smile is in Kihyun’s eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This was inspired by the kiss scene at the end of the movie It (2017).


	18. Hugs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 7/9

Kihyun shuffled through the door of the apartment quietly, heaving a tired sigh. He’s had an exhausting day today; from waking up late to skipping lunch to get work done, then finding out he has a meeting after work and he’s in charge of the meeting minutes this time round and by the time he leaves the office, Kihyun has just about had it.

Stepping into the threshold, Kihyun stalks through the living space without so much as a word, throwing his bag carelessly onto the sofa and peeking in the kitchen – it’s dark. Huffing, he goes to the bedroom, rapping the door in quick succession when he finds that it’s locked.

A few moments later Hyunwoo opens the door to let him in but he just collapses against the other’s chest, arms finding their way to his shoulders and holding on. He’s confused by the sudden sentiment, but it becomes clear to him that younger isn’t really being affectionate; more so _craving_ it, from how tense his body seems and how he hasn’t uttered a word at all.

Wrapping his arms around the shorter’s waist, Hyunwoo drags them to the bed, sitting them both down and resting his head on Kihyun’s shoulder silently. He can feel the younger relaxing as he tightens his hold on him, and Hyunwoo thinks it’s okay to ask.

“Bad day?,” he mutters, nodding when he feels the other dip his head in acknowledgment. “Wanna talk about it?” _No._ “Sleep?” _Yeah._ “Dinner?” _No._ “Okay.” He lies down then, pulling Kihyun with him, and they take a moment to rearrange themselves in a comfortable position although Kihyun is still in his work clothes and Hyunwoo is beginning to feel hungry.

They end up with Kihyun’s head on Hyunwoo’s chest, laying diagonally across the bed. Hyunwoo has an arm looped through his side, and runs his palm flat against the other’s flat abdomen in slow strokes. It’s quiet, and their rhythmic breathing was beginning to lull him to a doze when Kihyun spoke.

“Hyung?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

“Me too, baby. Me too.”

 


	19. Forgetting Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 8/9

When Kihyun left to work that morning, he was in a rush - as usual - but this time a sense of anxiety clouded his mind as he rode the train to his office. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt like he had forgotten something important; he couldn’t for the life of him recall what, however.

Just as he stepped into the office building it struck his mind. _The presentation_ , he thought, rummaging through his work bag frantically. The presentation he was due to unveil in today’s briefing, which sat completed in his pendrive _that was not in his bag._

 _Shit, Kihyun, where the fuck did you put it, holy fucking God_ , he thought in a panic, looking in the space over and over as if hoping it would magically appear. Finally giving up, Kihyun observed his surroundings in frustration, wondering what to do. He could rush home, but he couldn’t afford to be late and he had work piled up to prepare for said presentation.

Giving up, Kihyun sighed as he pulled out his phone to call Hyunwoo.

“Kihyun?,” Hyunwoo asked the moment he picked up, voiced puzzled. Kihyun sighed.

“Hyung, I need your help. I left my pendrive on the coffee table, do you think you could stop by my office on your way to work and give it to me?”

“Huh? Oh, sure,” he said.

Half an hour later Kihyun gets called down from his cubicle to meet Hyunwoo, who’s parked outside the office. Kihyun goes to grab the pendrive through the window, but Hyunwoo doesn’t seem to be in a giving mood, asking the other to get in. Kihyun grumbled in annoyance but obeyed.

“Where’s the pendrive?,” he demanded, shuffling in the passenger seat in agitation. Hyunwoo held it out to him and he took it, thanking the taller and rushing to open the door and take his leave.

“Wait,” Hyunwoo called, and as Kihyun turns to ask the man just what he wants when Hyunwoo grabs him by the neck and presses his lips against his own in an intense kiss. Kihyun doesn’t even think to pull back, disarming immediately and giving in to the older.

He doesn’t know how long they keep at it, but when Hyunwoo finally pushes him off they’re both panting. Kihyun is left in a daze as he looks at Hyunwoo, eyes darkened and lips swollen. “You’ll do great, okay?,” the older breathes, and Kihyun nods vaguely.

Then his mind is clear and he slaps Hyunwoo’s toned arms in exasperation, leaving the car despite the other calling his name in amusement.

 No one in the office questions why Kihyun returns flustered and slightly rosy in the cheeks.


	20. A Heated Argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 9/9

Kihyun’s phone rings, the sound loud and clear among the quiet ambiance of the apartment. Said man was taking a shower, so Hyunwoo opted to ignore the blaring device, telling himself not to forget to inform Kihyun as he went back to flicking through the channels on the TV.

Then it rang again, and Hyunwoo wondered if it was urgent. And then it rang once more. Hyunwoo usually never took Kihyun’s calls unless he was asked to, but then again, Kihyun’s callers were never usually this persistent either. Getting off the couch, Hyunwoo followed the direction the ringtone was coming from.

The screen of the phone was the only source of light in the otherwise dark kitchen, so Hyunwoo stepped forward towards the island to take a look, moving closer as he realized it was an unknown number; an unknown _Korean_ number on top of that. It struck Hyunwoo as odd since Kihyun didn’t keep in touch with anyone there anymore to Hyunwoo’s knowledge, and this number wasn’t saved either.

“Who the hell is that?” Hyunwoo turned at the sound of Kihyun’s voice, moving aside as his boyfriend entered the space and grabbed his phone. He watched as Kihyun took one look at the number and cut the call almost immediately, dropping his phone back on the kitchen island carelessly and walking off.

“Who was that?,” Hyunwoo asked, trailing behind the younger. “Don’t know,” Kihyun answered airily, but Hyunwoo could see the stiff stance he took as he sat in front of the television, grabbing the remote and turning the volume up.

“Kihyun-ah, who was that?,” Hyunwoo pressed. Kihyun sighed.

“That’s _eomma_ ’s number, hyung,” he confessed.

“Well, why didn’t you pick up?,” Hyunwoo asked. Kihyun shook his head, telling the older he didn’t want to talk to her. This time it was Hyunwoo who sighed. “You can’t do that, Kihyunnie. That’s not nice.”

Kihyun scoffed. “Not nice? Like what she did to me was very lovely, Hyunwoo-hyung.”

“She’s your mother-,” Hyunwoo starts. “I don’t want to talk about this, hyung, please,” Kihyun interrupted.

“How long are you going to go on like this, Kihyun-ah? You can’t keep avoiding them forever.”

“I can and I will,” he challenged, anger flashing in his eyes.

“They’re your family, Kihyunnie, they’re your responsibility.”

“And I send them money every month! It’s not my fault they don’t want it.”

“Kihyun-,” Hyunwoo called. “Hyunwoo-yah, don’t pretend like you don’t know why I’m being like this. Do you want me to tell you one by one?,” Kihyun replies spitefully.

“Kihyun-,” he says once more. Kihyun looks him in the eye, growling out “They call me a disgrace, tell me I’m a disappointment, that I should go to hell-”

“ **Kihyun** ,” he says sharply, and Kihyun stops. His eyes express a quiet sorrow, a hint of betrayal.

“What about you, hyung?,” he whispers then. “Don’t you remember what _abeoji_ told you when you went to try and talk to them? He screamed at you, hyung; he didn’t even let you in the house. And you’re sticking up for people like that?”

“I can take a lot of things, Hyunwoo-yah. But you didn’t deserve that,” he says finally, telling Hyunwoo he’s heading to bed, even though it’s only 8:30. Hyunwoo tries to call him, but Kihyun gives him the cold shoulder and closes the bedroom door behind him.

Hyunwoo waits around, eyes flicking back and forth between the television and his phone screen, unable to focus on anything. It’s barely half an hour when he exhales noisily and shuffles to their bedroom, turning off the lights on his way there.

He opens the door slowly, wincing when he hears it creak. Kihyun is lying on his side, back facing him, but Hyunwoo is more concerned by the other’s labored breathing. He walks forward and leans over the younger, brushing his lips across the shell of his ear. Kihyun turns, and Hyunwoo’s heart shatters at the sight of his watery eyes.

“Don’t cry,” Hyunwoo chides softly. Kihyun shakes his head, but the tears fall and Hyunwoo wipes them away with his thumbs, taking Kihyun’s face into his palms and kissing his forehead. They don’t say anything else, hugging each other tightly and running their hands all over each other in feather-light caresses the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. First of all, I'm sorry for going missing for a little more than two weeks. I lost track, and got a little busy before I could manage to get back to writing.
> 
> Secondly, I'm sorry once again because I'm taking a small break for a while. I think. I don't know. I'm a little... lost, I think? I don't really know myself, but as my readers who follow and wait for an update, you deserve an explanation. To put it simply and not make it a sob story, I am a fan of SHINee and by default, Kim Jonghyun. What happened to him is a shock, and I am currently trying to cope. I think I've mentioned this before, but I used to be depressive and suicidal. SHINee (and now MONSTA X) has managed to make me stop self-harm. To hear this... I don't know.
> 
> Anyways, I'm just going to be inactive until I'm okay enough to write. Thank you for bearing with me.


	21. Road Trips

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 1/10

_“Hyung,”Kihyun called one afternoon when he and Hyunwoo were lazing around on the couch. It’s a public holiday in London, so they were both taking the chance to just rest and relax._

_“Hmm?,” the other hummed._

_“Do you remember when we went on that trip with Changkyun and Jooheon back then? Just before your finals?,” he asked. Hyunwoo nodded, a smile overtaking his features. “We went all the way to Sokcho, right?”_

_Kihyun nodded. “Changkyun just got his license so he insisted on driving even though he was tired, and we kept going and going for hours until we got bored of snacking and stopping to pee, and Naksan Beach was the first thing we saw so we stopped there and decided to explore.”_

_“And then we realized we didn’t bring tents or even sleeping bags so we had to crash in the car,” the older recalled, laughing in amusement._

_“Ah, my neck is getting sore just remembering it,” Kihyun groaned. “And then we woke up the next day and saw the sunrise, remember?”_

_Hyunwoo hummed.  “It was beautiful.”_

_“It was,” the shorter agreed, smiling. “And then we played at the beach. Oh, Naksan beach was beautiful, hyung, the water was so blue and clear.”_

_“There weren’t many people too. And then we visited that temple near the beach remember? It was like Yonggungsa.”_

_“But Yonggungsa is always so crowded and noisy. Naksansa was very quiet and peaceful,” Kihyun argued. “I miss that. It was so spontaneous but I had more fun than any other planned trip I took part in,” he sighed, leaning his head on Hyunwoo’s shoulder and closing his eyes._

 

**Two weeks later**

“Why’d you come pick me up all of sudden?,” Kihyun enquired as he’d closed the door of the car, shuddering as the cold air of the air conditioning hit his face. “It’s raining, why on Earth is the air conditioner on full blast?”

Hyunwoo chuckled, merely shaking his head in response. The younger glared but didn’t push the subject. It wasn’t until they took the second exit on the roundabout, leaving them still on the highway instead of the third that would have led them home did Kihyun begin to pester the older with more and more questions.

“Where are we going?”

“This is technically kidnapping, hyung. It doesn’t matter that you’re my boyfriend.  _Of six years_ , I might add.”

“Tell me where we’re going, I’ll look it up on Google Maps at least. You’ll get us lost and then we’re going to end up dead in a ditch in this foreign country and no one will find our bodies for weeks.”

“Kihyun-ah,” Hyunwoo guffawed. “Calm down, I know the way; the road signs are very clear.”

“Hyung, c’mon, tell me where we’re going. I’m so tired, I wanna sleep and you’re dragging me out like this?,” he whined in reply. The taller finally relented. “We’re going on a road trip,” he said at last.

“What.”

Hyunwoo doesn’t answer, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. “Really, Hyunwoo-hyung?,” Kihyun pressed. “Are you serious?” Hyunwoo hums.

“Where are we going?,” he asks, because he doesn’t know what else to say.

“I thought we could visit Buckinghamshire, a lot of my coworkers told me it’s a nice place. And it’s only a couple hours away, so we could spend the weekend there without wasting too much time on traveling.”

Kihyun is so caught by surprise, especially because he knows the other did this for him just because he mentioned it in passing the fortnight before, he doesn’t really know what to do. So he just leans over and presses his lips on the middle of the older’s left cheek, mumbling a quiet _“Thank you.”_ and even though it’s his surprise, Kihyun feels like it’s the other way round, because the smile Hyunwoo gives him is so beautiful, it feels almost like a reward.

 


	22. Picnics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 2/10

“Hyung,” Kihyun sighed as he entered the apartment, spotting the older male waiting for him on the couch.

“Hey,” he acknowledged, “how was work?”

“Same old, same old but I need to ask you something,” the younger answered back, going on when Hyunwoo raised his eyebrows in silent question. “My office is having a picnic this weekend. It’s basically like a Family Day thing, but this year majority voted for a picnic so we’re doing it this weekend,” he said unenthusiastically.

“Okay, so we have to go for a picnic this weekend…,” Hyunwoo processed, nodding, “why is your face like that?,” he questioned. Kihyun sighed again. “I don’t wanna go,” he whined.

“But why? It could be fun.”

“I don’t know half my coworkers hyung, it’s going to be so awkward but my boss said attendance is going to count. You’d think we get to skip the extra stuff now that we’re working, but nope. It’s like school all over again,” he lamented.

Hyunwoo could do nothing but chuckle as his boyfriend complained away.

 

Soon Saturday arrives and Kihyun and Hyunwoo are out of the house before lunchtime, headed to the chosen spot to meet up with the rest of Kihyun’s officemates. Instead of riding shotgun as he usually did, the shorter sat at the back in their car, one arm wound around the large container of chilled _sujeonggwa_ he was bringing for the excursion and a large container full of classic Korean finger food, _kimbap_ on his lap _._

It was a potluck-style picnic and by luck, Kihyun had ended up in charge of drinks. Originally he’d settled on bringing soft drinks and wine, but he didn’t want to make the impression that he was being cheap or minimal. The drink was also Hyunwoo’s favourite, and he’d been craving the cold beverage for a while now, pestering Kihyun to make it for him.

They reach in time but half the staff is already there, big blankets spread under the shade of large trees, baskets and containers of food sitting in the middle and adults lounging around while children played with each other noisily.

“It looks like a scene straight out of a Western movie,” Hyunwoo remarks. Kihyun nods, smiling a little. A woman spots them and waves them both over, walking to the two in quick strides with a large smile on her face. “Kihyun, hi! I’m so happy you made it,” she says excitedly, before her eyes land on Hyunwoo. Kihyun introduces her to Hyunwoo as his boss, and they shake hands before making their way back to their spot.

Soon enough everyone else arrives, and the event is in full swing. There’s laughter and loud chatter as everyone partakes in the food and games. The children in particular have taken a liking to Kihyun, tugging on his hand to play with them each time he went back for some food or to talk to someone. Hyunwoo sits by the punch and watches silently as Kihyun chases them, before turning on his feet getting chased himself. Hyunwoo is no good in social events like this, especially when he’s with his boyfriend -who does the talking between them - and there’s not a soul that he knows.

“Mind if I take a seat?”

It’s Kihyun’s boss, and Hyunwoo mutters out a “No, of course not.” as he shuffles to the side immediately, making space for her to sit cross-legged beside him. They sit in silence for a bit, and Hyunwoo has a feeling she has something to say, so he keeps quiet, waiting for her to let it out.

“You’re his husband, right?,” she asks suddenly. It catches Hyunwoo by surprise a little bit, so stares for a second before shaking his head with a small laugh, telling her they aren’t married yet. “Oh, I didn’t mean to assume, I think Kihyun did mention you as a long-term boyfriend, sorry,” she rectifies quickly. Hyunwoo takes no offense; these things happen, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t like that people mistook them for spouses.

“Well if I’m being truthful you two weren’t helping either,” she says cheekily. “You act very domestic, and this is coming from someone who’s seen you for barely a couple of hours.”

“Kihyun is a nice person,” she says after a while. “He’s nice, but he’s a little… shy? No, he’s friendly but more on the quiet side I think?”

“Unless you call on him, then he becomes really outspoken right?,” Hyunwoo tries.

“Yes, exactly,” she exclaims. “I’ve spoken to most of them in the office, and they all really like him, he works hard and gets along with everyone. But he keeps to himself a lot, and we were just wondering if he doesn’t feel comfortable with us, or…?”

“No, no, he’s just like that, but he’s pretty happy working there. He really likes you, says you’re very understanding for a boss,” Hyunwoo explains, adding the last bit to make the lady feel better. She smiles, flattered.

“Well,” she starts, a twinkle in her eye, “I can see that he really likes you too, Hyunwoo.” erupting in laughter when Hyunwoo blushes, tan skin turning the slightest bit red as he smiles so wide his cheeks hurt.


	23. Double Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 3/10

“Hey, sorry we’re late,” Minhyuk remarks breathlessly as he and Hyungwon take their places opposite the already seated pair. Hyunwoo smiles in welcome, and Kihyun just waves off their apology, asking them if they preferred to order now or later.

One of the stark differences between London and Seoul is the culture: unlike Seoul, London hosts many nationalities of people, and with that comes a variety of culture – and that includes its food. So the four of them have made it their mission to sample every possible cuisine and restaurant they could while bonding over their roots and fostering their friendship.

“You know,” Minhyuk says, sucking in a large breath through his teeth in between bites of his food – _Korean food may be known for its spiciness, but Indian food gives a totally different meaning to heat_ , Hyunwoo thinks as he notices Hyungwon’s slight flush – “you guys never told us how you met.”

Kihyun hums, pondering. “Really? I think we have. And it’s not that much of a story anyways.” He replies, popping another piece of meat and _roti_ into his mouth and chewing slowly. Minhyuk insists that _yes, you’ve never told us before, so spill_ and Kihyun laughs, nodding his head and taking another bite.

“We met in my second year of university. Hyunwoo-hyung was one year above me, and in totally different social circles from mine. The reason we even got to know each other was very circumstantial, right hyung?,” he asks, looking at the elder for confirmation. Hyunwoo nods, swallowing before verbally agreeing.

“Our roommates knew each other well, so one day I was having lunch with my roommate when Kihyun walked over with his. You were so shy and polite, you barely said hello to me and Jooheon,” Hyunwoo teased. The smaller huffed, “Yeah, well you were just as awkward, you didn’t even say anything back. You’re lucky I didn’t think you were arrogant” he retorted.

“And then what happened?,” Hyungwon asked, chuckling as he broke their little tiff.

“After seeing each other through our mutual friends a few more times I finally exchanged numbers with hyung, and then we were friends for a bit before we started going out, and the rest is history,” Kihyun concluded, shrugging a little. Hyungwon nodded, but Minhyuk didn’t look appeased.

“That’s all?,” he asked, unsatisfied.

“What, did you expect him to sweep me off my feet and dash off into the sunset like all lovers do?”

“With how you two act, yeah,” Minhyuk muttered. Hyunwoo laughs a little at his response, nodding in agreement.

“We’re not always this symbiotic, you know. We fought a lot like you two do now. We sometimes still do,” he says reassuringly. “Yeah, but Hyungwonnie and I have a typical lovers’ spat, like getting jealous over this one girl in our apartment block, whereas you guys probably argue about like having to go to Tesco but Hyunwoo-hyung always forgetting or something.”

The couple burst into fits of laughter. “How did you know, oh my goodness,” Kihyun wheezes in between bouts of laughter, hitting his thigh enthusiastically. Hyunwoo is barely squinting, chubby cheeks on full display as he tried to calm down.

“See!,” Minhyuk exclaims, “You’re both around our age, and yet you act more like our parents than us!”

 


	24. Shopping (For Fun)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 4/10

“Should we go out tomorrow?,” Kihyun asks as he gets into their car. It’s raining rather heavily – more so than what London usually sees – so Hyunwoo offered to pick the younger up after work that day. “Go out where?,” the former asked back, eyes fixed on the road in front of him.

“Anywhere, really… We’re always lounging around at home, and we haven’t really gone sightseeing since we moved here. Notting Hill is like, 5 minutes away from our place, and we’ve never even set foot there.”

“Sure,” Hyunwoo said easily. “We could go there tomorrow.”

“Really?,” the younger asked, excitement obvious in his voice. Hyunwoo grinned.

“It’s a _date_.”

 

The next day, the two set out late into the morning, deciding to walk to their planned destination since it was so near and the weather was pleasant. “It’s always so busy on Saturdays, I doubt we’ll be able to find a place to park anyways,” Kihyun remarked, recalling seeing throngs of visitors around the weekends whenever he passed by the marketplace.

They start off with that very marketplace, and exactly as Kihyun says, it is bustling with people – both locals and tourists. It’s lively, with stalls selling all kinds of treats and trinkets and vendors shouting out what sounds like great deals as people tried to get even more of a bargain than possible.

Kihyun loves it – there are so many things he could buy here; from simple but unique presents that he could get for a coworker without breaking a sweat to clothes for wearing out or at home. He especially loves the fruits and vegetables – they’re around the same price as supermarkets and there’s not much of a variety, but he can tell that they’re so much fresher and worth every penny.

“We’re gonna have to come here every weekend, hyung, these are really good deals,” he exclaims as they walk past noisy stalls and all kinds of colourful things. Hyunwoo nearly has to shout back an affirmative, nodding enthusiastically as he took in the atmosphere while he trailed behind Kihyun, a hand holding onto the latter’s small wrist tightly.

There’s lots of street food too, and his stomach is growling despite having breakfast just before they left. They sample as much food as possible, before moving on to another part of area, away from the market.

 

This street mostly hosts fashion and retail, and Kihyun jumps at the chance to buy them both new clothes, especially office wear for Hyunwoo, stopping only when the latter promises he won’t steal the younger’s clothes as often as he did. He huffs, but supposes that’s the best compromise he can come to with his boyfriend (at least for the time being. He’ll get him to stop completely sooner or later, hopefully).

It’s almost sunset when they’re finally done for the day - tired and hungry, the couple walk on along to another road, coming across a fancy restaurant recommended by the friendly staff at one of the boutiques the pair visited before. It was more of a high-end place to eat, they said, but definitely a must try.

“They really weren’t kidding when they said high-end, huh?,” the younger murmured as the waiter left to fetch them their wine and the first dish of their tasting menu. Hyunwoo nodded silently, grateful that they were given a table away from the main area – he felt too underdressed in comparison to the other diners.

But the food was incredible, the service and hospitality of the staff warm and professional, and all in all they had a good time. By the time they got home the two of them were a little buzzed, stealing small pecks and leaning into each other as they entered the vicinity of their apartment.

“Tired,” Kihyun mumbles, but then his teeth are latched onto the patch of skin around Hyunwoo’s collarbone, sucking slowly. The latter hums in agreement, hands resting on his boyfriend’s waist and pulling him closer. They spend a few more minutes like that, sensually touching each other before unwillingly pulling away to settle for bed, sleep overtaking them soon after.


	25. Keeping Plants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 5/10

When Hyunwoo first spotted it, sitting innocently by the edge of their kitchen window, he didn’t think much – the male was in the midst of rushing to make it to his job on time, and it hadn’t really stood out enough to catch his attention. In fact, he dismissed it as his eyes playing tricks on him and forgot the matter altogether.

And another popped up, and then another one; soon enough, there was at least one tiny potted plant in every room of their home save for the bathroom. Hyunwoo didn’t mind the sudden addition in their household, but he did wonder what made his boyfriend randomly purchase so many of them at once.

But Kihyun’s collection of miniature plant life didn’t stop growing, and Hyunwoo finally decided he had enough when one day he pricked himself by a small cactus that occupied the middle of their coffee table when he reached out to grab his mug without really looking. _Fourth time this week_ , he thought grumpily and hissed, waving his palm instinctively as if to shake the pain away.

“Kihyun,” he called, entering the bedroom to see his boyfriend doing some work on his laptop. “Why are there so many plants on here all of a sudden?”

“They’re cute. And. You know. Fresh air,” the younger mumbled, eyes never leaving the screen. Hyunwoo frowned, not satisfied with the shorter’s nonchalance.

“Okay, but why cacti?,” he questioned again.

“They’re cute, hyung, look at them,” Kihyun protested.

“They’re cute,” Hyunwoo agrees, finally giving in, “but more painful, I think. Do we really need this many?”

“Why not?”

“Kihyun, we have three of them in our bedroom _alone_. At least get a variety of plants if you want to keep them so badly.”

 

When he returned from work with a different species of cacti the week after, Hyunwoo could only sigh in resignation. “We’re getting rid of at least half of these if you buy any more,” he threatened, groaning when his boyfriend only smiled widely, face the perfect picture of innocence.  


	26. Doctor Visits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 6/10

Although it’s a Thursday and Kihyun and Hyunwoo should be at their respective offices, today they find themselves together in a rather different yet familiar setting. _Why is it that no matter what country it is, hospital walls are always some pale colour?_ , Kihyun wondered idly as he and his boyfriend sat on the little hard plastic chairs, waiting for their turn.

Neither of them is sick, so that’s not the reason for their visit. No, today both of them are here for a full-body medical checkup, mostly at Hyunwoo’s insistence. The younger doesn’t know what prompted this, but he suspects that it has something to do with the nightmare Hyunwoo had a couple weeks back – one he refuses to tell Kihyun about, no matter how much he tried to wheedle it out of the former.

 

**_Hyunwoo is awoken to the sound of hacking coughs, followed by heavy breathing. He rises with a start and reaches out an arm, finding their shoulder easily despite his blurry vision. His neck is sore from sleeping on the side of the hospital bed, but he doesn’t focus on that, instead running a comforting hand up and down in slow, consistent strokes – as if it was a habit – as his blinks away the sleep and his sight clears._ **

**_He looks to find Kihyun calming down from the sudden fit, wheezing a little. He wants to call a nurse in, but he knows they wouldn’t be able to do much either. They’d give him something to help with the coughing but left him sleeping for hours, a side effect neither of them liked very much._ **

**_His boyfriend looks gaunt, with sunken cheeks and a pale complexion. It makes Hyunwoo’s heart clench a little, but he pushes that aside. He didn’t have time to be bitter. “Better?,” he asks, reaching out for the jug of water on the bedside stand, pouring the younger a glass. At Kihyun’s nod, he offers the liquid and watches the male downs the whole thing one go, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he returns the clear object. Hyunwoo asks if he wants something to eat, frowning when the smaller shakes his head._ **

**_“You skipped lunch too, Kihyunnie,” he says unhappily. Kihyun is silent, eyes downcast._ **

**_“…I’m sorry, hyung,” he finally says. Hyunwoo shakes his head, taking his hand in one of his own and squeezing it softly. Kihyun’s palms were always smaller than his own, but Hyunwoo doesn’t remember them ever being this bony._ **

**_“I’m giving you a lot of work, aren’t I? You should rest, hyung,” Kihyun goes on in a raspy voice._ **

**_“No, you’re not,” Hyunwoo says automatically._ **

**_“Sit,” he orders softly. Hyunwoo does as he says, taking a seat in the chair he’s been occupying since the other has been admitted to the hospital. He doesn’t let go of Kihyun’s hand, clinging to it like a lifeline. Kihyun takes a deep breath, exhaling a tired sigh._ **

**_“I think it’s time, Hyunwoo-hyung.”_ **

**_Hyunwoo doesn’t understand, and it probably shows on his face, because Kihyun repeats himself._ **

**_“I think…,” he starts again, swallowing a little nervously “my time is up.” Hyunwoo opens his mouth to shush the younger, but suddenly there are tears threatening to spill from the corners of Kihyun’s eyes and Hyunwoo sucks in a breath in, biting his lip._ **

**_It didn’t feel real when Kihyun was coughing out blood. It didn’t feel real when the doctor explained everything, from his diagnoses to possible treatments. It didn’t feel real when Kihyun went in for surgery and it didn’t work. It didn’t feel real when Kihyun went on for chemotherapy and still no luck._ **

**_It still doesn’t feel real._ **

**_Hyunwoo doesn’t realize he’s crying too until the tears blur his vision. He blinks, letting them fall, and he watches as Kihyun starts wheezing from the onslaught of tears and Hyunwoo moves forward, taking the younger in his arms instinctively, hushing him even though he was sobbing himself._ **

**_He feels the younger push against him so weakly and it makes him cry harder - Kihyun used to be so much stronger. It hurts to see him broken like this, both in body and spirit. Still, he lets go of the man, freezing when he connects their lips in a kiss, a cold hand running through Hyunwoo’s hair._ **

**_Hyunwoo can’t help but kiss back, though. Kihyun tastes like mouthwash and salt from their tears, but Hyunwoo misses the feel of his lips against his own so he doesn’t stop. It’s a soft kiss, a slow one; one that reminds him of their first kiss, their first time. It gets slower and soon it’s just small pecks, just light pressure from them pressing against each other’s lips._ **

**_It’s not when Kihyun stills completely that Hyunwoo finally moves back, and it still doesn’t feel real to him. No, even with the tears falling harder and he goes to call the nurse, it doesn’t feel real._ **

_Hyunwoo rouses in a startled manner, heart beating impossibly fast and breath labored as he tried to breathe through the tears trailing down his cheeks. The dream feels all too real, and it takes him a minute to tear himself from it. It isn’t until he registers Kihyun’s frantic voice in the distance and hands wiping at his wet cheeks that Hyunwoo’s able to convince himself that this is_ reality _._

_Still, he can’t seem to form a proper response, choked whimpers the only sounds he’s able to let out. Kihyun gives up trying to find out what was going on, pulling the elder to rest his face against his collarbone as he whispers quiet reassurances to calm him._

_“Hyunwoo-yah, shh, you’re okay,” he tries, voice heavy from sleep and deeper than usual. “You’re okay, everything is okay, I’m right here, it was just a dream. Everything is okay.” Slowly but surely, Hyunwoo’s breathing slows and is rhythmic once more, and Kihyun can only sigh in relief as the fear and panic die down._

_“Want to talk about-,” Kihyun starts, but he’s interrupted by Hyunwoo’s mouth on his. He kisses him hard, almost desperate, ignoring the muffled yelp the smaller lets out in surprise. He tries to pull back, but Hyunwoo has a strong palm behind his head, pushing him in and almost forcing him to kiss back, and Kihyun gives in with a soft moan as he ravishes his mouth._

_“I love you,” he whispers when they finally pull away for air, hugging the man close and taking comfort in his familiar scent. “I love you so much, don’t ever leave me.”_

_Kihyun looks confused, but his response is immediate. “I love you too, and I’m not going anywhere. Are you okay?”_

_Hyunwoo doesn’t answer though, laying them both back down on the bed. He thinks he must still look haunted, because the shorter doesn’t push it,_ instead _letting him tuck his head into_ the space _between his neck and shoulder and running his hands through his hair comfortingly until Hyunwoo succumbs to sleep once more, this time to much better dreams._


	27. Pets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 7/10

It’s nearly 9 when Kihyun reaches their shared apartment. He’s a little later than usual, and his stomach is growling in hunger so he rushes, kicking off his shoes and loosening his tie as he thinks of something easy and quick to whip up for dinner.

There’s a short whine, and Kihyun looks over to see a young German Shepherd looking at him and sticking its tongue out. It’s too small to be fully grown, but too big to be considered a puppy. He smiles at the animal, reaching out a hand to pat the space between its ears as it wags its tail excitedly.

“Hyung I’m home, sorry I was late, lots of work at the office, I’ll make dinner after I shower okay, can you take the chicken out of the freezer and let it defrost,” he says loudly, stalking to their bedroom, grabbing his towel and running into the bathroom.

It isn’t until halfway of his shower that realizes that they don’t own a dog.

“Hyunwoo-hyung,” he roars from the bathroom. “Why is there a dog in here?!”

He turns off the faucet and wraps the towel around his hips in one quick motion, throwing open the door and hastily wiping his feet on the mat before padding out to the living room, finding the older perched on his usual place by the sofa, a mug of steaming coffee in his hand. He looks absolutely innocent.

Kihyun takes a deep breath. “Hyung,” he starts as calmly as possible “why is there a dog in our house?”

“What dog?,” Hyunwoo asks ignorantly, and as if on cue, it comes running to them, sniffing Kihyun’s towel before moving over to Hyunwoo and sitting down on the floor beside the sofa, looking expectantly at them both.

“That.” Kihyun’s voice is flat and unimpressed. “That dog.”

“I found him,” Hyunwoo starts slowly. Kihyun waits, letting the older tell him the not very long story of how he ended up letting it inside their home. Apparently, he’s been roaming the area of Hyunwoo’s office for a few days now, and for some reason he had taken a liking to the man, always waiting by his car.

“I tried asking around, but no one knows whose he is. He doesn’t have a collar either,” he finishes quietly.

“I- well, we can’t keep him, hyung, what if he has an owner?,” Kihyun tries. Hyunwoo doesn’t say anything, but Kihyun can tell he’s grown fond of the dog, and he’s not happy about the possibility that he might have to give him up.

The younger takes a look at the canine, and well, _it **is** cute. Dammit._

They keep him for the night and then take him to the shelter the next morning. The people there end up taking him, saying they’ll keep him for a week while checking for possible owners who might be looking for him. “But,” the girl says kindly, seeing the slight disappointment their faces as the other volunteers took him to the backrooms where they kept their animals, “if no one claims him and you still want him, you can take him when we put him up for adoption. Just give me your number, I’ll keep you updated.”

As it turns out, the dog does have an owner, who comes to claim him almost as soon as they find out where he is. They drop by Hyunwoo and Kihyun’s place too, thanking them for taking him in and returning him to them. Kihyun feels a little brokenhearted that they can’t have him, but Hyunwoo looks even sadder at the news than he is.

“Well,” Kihyun says lightly, laying his head on the older’s shoulder as they watch the young man and Simba (his owner has an affinity for _Lion King_ , it seems) walk to the elevator, “even if we did keep him, he wouldn’t be very happy staying alone all day, waiting for us to come home. And we’ll be too tired to even play with him.”

“That _is_ true,” Hyunwoo mused, planting a quick kiss on the younger’s forehead and wrapping his arms around Kihyun’s waist. “We’ll get one when we’re older, when we don’t have to work so hard and we have a bigger house that he can run around in. And we won’t name him after a cartoon character.”

“Don’t be mean,” Kihyun chides gently, but he’s chuckling along too.


	28. Vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 8/10

_Montenegro is beautiful_ , Kihyun decides as he observes the lovely view from his hotel window. It’s a small country, with typical European-style architecture and lush greenery – it reminded him of the time he’d visited the countryside of London with Hyunwoo one weekend, but this place had an almost fairytale-like quality to it; it looked like a place that one would imagine when reading medieval stories of castles and kingdoms.

Somehow they’d won an all-expenses-paid trip to the country in a lucky draw when Kihyun purchased a set of pots and pans online. They were both dubious as they confirmed their travel plans and took leave off work, because it wasn’t a typical place to visit in the continent (and to be frank, neither of them actually ever heard of the country until then- geography really wasn’t their strongest subject in high school).

But so far the trip had been nothing short of enjoyable. Kihyun took to the picturesque scenery and rich history that came with it, and Hyunwoo was delighted with the vast choices of recreational activities that the mountainous terrain and deep canyons offered. More than anything, the fact that it was a vacation between the tiring and boring routine of the working lifestyle came as an immense relief to them both.  

“I haven’t seen that in a while.” Kihyun turns in surprise as he was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his boyfriend’s voice, gesturing to the camera he held in his palm. “Yeah, I haven’t had the time to use it, work and all. Maybe I should pick it up again,” the shorter mused, raising the object to Hyunwoo’s face and taking a few experimental shots.

“You should,” Hyunwoo agrees, looking unperturbed as Kihyun came forward and started taking pictures of his nose, only breaking out in a bright grin when the younger began to laugh at his own silliness.

Plucking the device out of the younger’s palm, Hyunwoo snapped a few pictures of the male, the latter automatically sporting different poses after each click of the shutter. He moved forward when Hyunwoo finally stopped, the two looking at their photos together.

“Handsome,” Hyunwoo muttered monotonously. Kihyun smacked his forearm, telling him that flattery will get him nowhere. “We’ve been dating for years now, this won’t work on me anymore,” he said flatly.

The taller turned to him, bending and moving closer to his face and grinning widely like he’d won some sort of competition.

“Then why are you blushing?”

 

 

 


	29. House Cleaning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 9/10

“Hyung, we have to clean the apartment this weekend, it’s such a mess!,” Kihyun exclaimed when they returned from grocery shopping after work one Friday night. Hyunwoo hums noncommittally as he walked into the kitchen to place the bags of food and other essentials on the island, before returning to the living room to see Kihyun pacing, fluffing their throw pillows and arranging them neatly on the sofa.

“ _Eomoni_ is coming on Monday, we better spruce up the place before she gets here or we won’t make a good impression,” he mutters as he removes the stack of newspapers littering their coffee table save for the latest one. Hyunwoo sighs internally. The next few days were going to be stressful for them both, he just knows it.

 

He’s not wrong. Kihyun is in the most grating mood until Sunday, snapping at Hyunwoo and barking out orders as the pair worked hard to sweep, mop and wipe every inch of the house over the course of the weekend.

His attitude gets on Hyunwoo’s nerves, but the man knows that it’s only for the time being and that the best thing to do was to get it all over with so that his boyfriend can lose the dark cloud that’s seemingly stuck hanging over his head.

So for the two days, Hyunwoo stays quiet as Kihyun nags all the while, up until they finish on Sunday afternoon. The apartment is sparkling clean, and the couple is exhausted to their bones. They collapse against each other on the bed after a quick lunch and shower, and Kihyun is finally silent, eyes closed and breath even.

“Have I been really annoying? I’m sorry,” he apologises out of the blue, and Hyunwoo can’t help but smile. Kihyun is always so soft when it comes to him. He’s unapologetically mean to almost everyone, but with him he tones it down a little, and Hyunwoo finds it touching, the way he affects the younger.

“It’s okay,” he rumbles, too tired to care. But suddenly he’s very aware of the Kihyun laying against him, warm body flush against his own, and it has his groin tight. The stray thought that his mother is going to be here for the next whole week hits him – meaning absolutely no chance for them indulge in anything sexual for the time being.

“Why don’t you make it up to me then?,” he says in a husky voice,  shifting his hips to meet Kihyun’s and slotting his mouth against the smaller’s, swallowing his surprised exhale with a hard kiss.

 

The whole place is clean, but Hyunwoo and Kihyun have to change the sheets of their bed again that night.


	30. I Love You's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update 10/10

They’re in bed, but neither of them are asleep. It’s clearly late into the morning – the room is bright, sunlight filtering through the windows because they both forgot to draw the curtains before trudging into bed the night before. They aren’t disturbed, however – the two seem content to just lie in bed, bodies huddled close together. It’s always so cold in the mornings, courtesy of the fan spinning on full speed to cool them down on warm nights.

Like this, they look ethereal – almost like a dream. The indirect light softens their features, and the white, almost peach coloured walls add a touch of gold to their skin, making them appear almost inhuman. They notice this too, and their eyes find it hard to leave each other, drinking up the attractive sight like a moth to flame.

But it’s not just their eyes that are engaged. Their fingers cannot seem to let go either, one trailing the tips across his smooth skin in ticklish, feather-like touches and the other keeping a fixed palm on the former’s cheek, thumb tracing out the features of his face tenderly. There isn’t any exchange of words, the two speaking with light grazing and loving stares instead.

The finger stops at the curve of his bottom lip, and he looks up, meeting serene brown orbs. His gaze then flickers to the other’s lips, his own mouth parting instinctively, as if prophesizing his next move. That’s why he doesn’t back away, doesn’t look surprised when the latter presses even closer, warm breath mingling his own.

It should feel desperate, almost teasing being this close to each other without really doing anything – but it doesn’t. Instead they both feel comfortable, completely at home with the intimate feeling that comes with being so close. It’s warm, like sitting in front of a well-lit hearth on a cold winter’s night – it gives a sense of security, of comfort, being near each other like this.

Still, there’s a small part of him that’s already waiting, expecting for more, so when the other doesn’t move he huffs impatiently in response. It prompts a bout of laughter from the latter, the loud sound muffled by letting their lips meet forcefully in an effort to shut him up. He gives in, exhaling softly as he kisses back, hands running through messy, silky hair.

 He feels the latter’s mouth stretching into a smile, and he can’t help but mirror it, ruining the kiss. It’s been barely a minute when he pulls away, but to them it feels like forever as they steal light pecks from each other, nipping at each other’s bottom lip lightly as they catch their breaths.

He stares as the other licks his lips slowly, teeth reaching out to clamp on his bottom lip softly. It has both their eyes darkening, but he doesn’t push it. This moment feels too pure for him to really want to do anything. “Hey,” he whispers, contentment evident in his voice. The other just hums, prompting him to go on. “I love you.”

He can’t help but lean in when soft lips press against the crown of his head, nor can he help but flush in happiness when he hears the same reply he’s been hearing for years now. It’s cheesy, but he never tires from hearing it. He doesn’t think he ever will.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! I'm sorry for so much delay and turning this from a 30 Day Challenge to a 3 Month Challenge, and thank you for sticking by it to the very end, or just reading one chapter, for leaving Kudos, or not at all! Every one of my readers means a lot to me, whether or not they make their presence known. I used to write simply because I felt like writing, and I thought whatever fics I'd like to read is best fulfilled by myself, because I know exactly what I want. But so many of you seem to enjoy my work even when I didn't have it in me to keep going, and if it weren't for your support I would have deleted all my work and given up writing completely. So really, the reason this is even finished at all is because of you. Thank you. 
> 
> As always, as much as Kudos is welcomed, constructive criticism is much more appreciated. Let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear them!


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